Canada has immediately ended its policy allowing visitor visa holders to apply for work permits while in the country.
The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced this change on Wednesday.
Originally set to expire in February 2025, this policy was implemented in August 2020 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. It allowed visitors to apply for work permits without leaving Canada and permitted recent work permit holders who had switched to visitor status to work legally while awaiting new permit decisions.
IRCC cited efforts to recalibrate temporary resident numbers and preserve immigration system integrity as reasons for the change.
They also noted some individuals were misusing the policy to mislead foreign nationals into unauthorised work.
“IRCC will continue to process applications submitted before August 28, 2024, under the policy,” the statement read.
